Proper nutrition for weight loss and fitness training

Though exercise and fitness training play a big part when it comes to getting in shape and looking good, proper nutrition is the key factor to achieving and maintaining results. Without getting into too many details, the basic idea is to burn what you consume. Extra consumption will generally lead to weight gain, and under consumption will lead to weight loss.

Artificial diet pills and other "magic" products most often yield temporary results if any at all, and are simply a colossal waste of money. They have been designed and marketed by companies preying on on people that lack the willpower/motivation to lose weight, and that are unable or unwilling to put in their time exercising. As human nature is often to find the "easy way out", new miracle weight loss supplements pop up every day, ready to fleece the next unfortunate victim by selling the some snake oil.

Various calculators exist to determine a ballpark figure of daily energy / calorie consumption required to survive. These calorie calculations are generally based on height, weight, age and gender. A Google search should yield many results to help you determine your "break even point". Any additional exercise will burn extra energy, so normally would require extra calorie consumption, unless you are trying to lose weight.

Using my self as an example, as a  5.6 feet tall, 150 lbs, and 42 year old male, I'll lose a few pounds per week limiting my intake to 1500 calories a day with 4-5 hours of exercise. If I increase my intake to 2000 calories per day, I'll likely put on about 1 lb per week until I hit a higher weight, at which point it would likely level itself out.

Limiting my self to 1500 calories a day isn't too hard, but if I want to feel energized and have enough stamina and power when I work out, I must not only consume the most efficient foods, but also consume the different food groups at different time of the day. I not strict to the point of monitoring all dietary nutrition, simply a general calorie count a healthy mix of anything I feel like eating.

A kitchen scale is extremely useful in determining a given food's calorie value. One you have the weight, you can research the calorie value either on the label, or online when it come to unlabelled foods like fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

As I like to work out before lunch, I start off with an early breakfast of roughly 60 to 70 percent carbohydrates, and the rest protein/fat. If opting to eat bread, I try to stick with whole wheat bread, proteins are usually cheese, milk, eggs. Breakfast cereals containing extra protein are a decent choice as well. I stay away from sugar, and very rarely drink any coffee. I typically drink a cup of unsweetened black or green tea flavored with mint of ginger in the morning. I aim for a total consumption of 400-500 calories for breakfast.

A good time for lunch, is immediately of exercising. Recovering muscle need protein, so this is typically where most of my fish and meat consumption happens. I like to catch most of my fish, but that isn't always possible. When I can, I stick with wild caught walleye or Northern pike fillets, either baked or sauteed with a touch of butter and breading, or fresh caught trout(rainbow, speckled or brown), either baked or pan fried. Store bought steelhead or salmon is good too.

If I opt to eat meat, most often it will be grilled or roasted chicken or turkey breast. Calorie count is way less than read meat. Also contains less cholesterol and saturated fats. Way better on my wallet too. I will usually top off the lunch with a vitamin packed fruit, grapefruit, apple or bananas are my staple choices. Again, I'll aim for about 400-500 calories consumed.

I always try to eat supper early, try to not eat much after 6:00 PM. Supper is usually when I get my fiber, most often a large salad with spinach, carrot, celery, tomato, cucumber, and some sort of beans or corn. I not a fan of dressing, maybe a teaspoon of olive oil, or half and avocado to help my body absorb the raw nutrients. Some lemon juice, very little if any salt, and lots of black or cayenne pepper for flavor. Will typically top off the salad with some seeds and nuts, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachio kernels, or brazil buts. The nuts I consume are either raw or dry roasted, with nothing added. Very important not to over consume nuts if trying to lose weight, as they are packed with fat and are very high in calories. Again, here is where a scale comes in very handy, as a handful of nuts may pack close to 100 calories.

Fluid consumption is important as well. I don't touch any soda, diet or otherwise. Ever. I stay away from fruit juices, except a half a cup of pomegranate juice after dinner, extremely good for blood circulation and cardio vascular system. I won't touch alcohol either, at least not on any weekdays, limiting my self to water and unsweetened herbal tea.

Lastly, NO junk food such as chips, chocolate bars, cookies, cake, etc.

I don't find my diet to be drastic at all, as I indulge in most of the foods I like, simply limiting my consumption to normal portions. That being said, constantly watching what you eat requires a lot of self control, especially when my wife is cooking all sort of tastier food for the rest of the family. Over time, it would likely be impossible to stick with this sort of diet every day, at least for me.

This is where Shabbat comes in. As an observant Jew, part of keeping Shabbat is enjoying certain traditional meals. For me, it is the time to let loose once a week and treat myself to whatever I skip on the other 6 days. I can go through hefty amounts of beer, wine, scotch, tequila, meat, and a few pastries over a period of about 25-26 hours,. Of course, I pay the price when it's all said and done. I typically put on 4-6 lbs in that period, though they come off rather easily, typically in about 2-3 days when I'm back to my regular nutrition.

I'm not advocating anyone to emulate my bad eating / drinking habits once a week, but I do believe that everyone should take a few days off a month to reward themselves for the self discipline they put in on a daily basis. Whether you prefer a sizzling steak with a tall glass of cold beer, and nice bowl of pasta with wine, or possible a large slice of cake for those of you with a sweet tooth, give yourself something to look forward to every once in a while.

Getting fit with GSP Rushfit circuit training

As mentioned in my previous post, my first step towards losing weight and getting fit again at 40 years old, as purchasing the George St Pierre Rushfit program. I've been a fan of George St. Pierre dating back to his pre-UFC debut, back when he was fighting local televised venues in Kahnawake. I've followed his rise to glory as UFC champion, and always admired both his work ethic, and humble attitude. As MMA fighters are just about the epitome of fitness level, I figured I'd have a decent shot with his program.

The 6 DVD set comes with a nutrition guide, workout chart to plan your exercise routine, and most importantly, the DVD's with various workout programs. Designed by George's trainer Eric Owings, they can be used by beginners as well as high level athletes, just following along George, Eric, and a few others on the screen.

What sold me on the program was the lack of having to get any equipment outside a workout mat and a set of dumbell weights that I already had. Just cleared out enough space in my office, and I was ready to start.

As soon as my busy season at work slowed down, I started with the beginner program, 8 weeks of GSP rushfit, combined with his nutritional plan. The plan begins with a workout schedule of 3 days in the week, along with some extra cardio sessions of your choice. Throughout the program, the seventh day is a rest day, which ends up perfect for me. As an orthodox /  Shabbat observant Jew, I do not watch TV on Shabbat, nor do I workout.

The workouts start with a 10 minute warmup session, which is the same for all workouts, and a 6-7 minute cool down once the workout is over, again, same cool down for all workouts. The the warmup is good for all of them, I would have preferred a cooldown that was more specific to each workout, as different muscle groups and exercise styles (isometric, plyometric, etc0 are used. The workouts are all based on 5 x 5 minute rounds, with 1 minute of rest in between each round, simulating a championship MMA fight (minus getting hit!). Though George is in tremendous shape, he looks just as human as anyone else throughout the series, sweating, grunting, being out of breath at times. The beauty of this system, is that the same workout works just as well for beginners.

As for the nutrition plan, I use it as a general guideline, but did not follow it to a tee. I don’t diet on Shabbat either, and it’s the one day I allow myself to enjoy a few beers and some nice Tequila/Scotch. No matter, I made up for the extra calories throughout the rest of the week. At the end of each workout week, I got on the scale to gauge results.

I documented the program live on a week by week basis , so from time to time, you'll notice me speaking in present or future tense, even though this all happened a couple years ago...

Week #1:

I opened the first DVD, a Strength and endurance workout. GSP’s trainer Eric Owings is a “kinder” version of a drill sergeant, calling to moves, correcting form, and pressing you to pick up the pace throughout the session. GSP along with a couple others are working to a quick  pace. I was surprised that I was actually following along for the most part, albeit at a slower pace. Needless to say, I was gassed at the end of my first workout, and had many aching muscles for the next couple days, as I tapped into many muscles that I rarely use.

Next GSP Rushfit workout was the abdominal training. Again, quite intense for a beginner, but less intense than the strength and endurance workout, except for the 5^th round.

Finally, my third workout of the series, was the fight conditioning workout. I strongly suggest watching the foundation moves section of the DVD, especially if you are not familiar with combat sports. Takes about 45 minutes, but very well worth it, as you’ll have proper form for the entire workout, which is essential.

By the end of the week, I was surprised at how much energy I had, despite the major cutback in my calorie intake. Moment of truth, I got on the scale after the first week ended, I lost a whopping 7 lbs!

  

Week # 2:

Being pumped from the success of the previous week, I was determined to build on what I had started. The workouts already seemed significantly easier, and I found myself pushing a lot harder. The Fight conditioning combinations were coming more naturally as well. Towards the end of the week, I tried the bonus “Balance and agility” workout. Starts off easy, but the last 12 minutes are very intense, felt like I was going to explode by the end.

Again, got on the scale to another nice surprise, lost 4 more lbs! At this point, my wife decided to get on the program as well.

Week # 3:

Another week of improving speed, endurance and form, building on the work from the previous weeks. Got to try a new workout, “Full body & strength conditioning”, again, quite intense when doing new exercises, alternated between 5 and 0 lbs dumbbells on it. End of the week weigh in seemed to start balancing out, lost only 1 lb in week #3, but not surprising considering the quantity of alcohol I had consumed the previous weekend.

Week #4:

Another good workout week, increased weight to 10 lbs dumbbells for most of the exercises in all workouts, to raise the intensity. For exercises that used body motion only, I made a conscious effort to put a lot more into the speed. Besides for all the workouts, we were moving lot’s of furniture at home, so I got some good exercise hauling beds, mattresses and furniture up and down the stairs. Surprised to only lose 1 lb in week #4 after all I had done, but at least I still lost weight.

Week #5:

Packed in as much workouts as I could in the first 4 days, as I travelled to Dallas towards the end of the week. No weigh in as I was away from home.

Week #6:

Did a couple workouts in Dallas, but also came down with strep throat which I likely caught from my kids the previous week, as it was going around at home. After couple days on penicillin, I worked out again, although at a bit of a slower page, and more effort. Not sure if it was the smartest thing to do, but by this point I found myself mentally and physically craving the workout. By week’s end, I was very surprised to have lost another 5 lbs (over 2 weeks)!

Week #7:

By now the workouts are getting relatively easy, barring a few of the extremely intense rounds in some of the workouts. The final un-opened “Explosive power training” DVD is introduced, and to my increased fitness level, less intense than when I originally opened new ones earlier on in the program. Lost another 2 lbs in Week #7.

Week # 8:

Final week of the my initial Rushfit program. Gave it my all this week, really made the extra effort to work as hard as possible. Explosive training and strength/endurance workouts remain the toughest ones for me to get through at this pace, the the other 4 are relatively easier as long as you managed to keep proper mental focus on each set. Finally, the moment of truth, I got on the scale, dropped another 3 lbs!

My overall assessment of this training program is great. I love being able to train my full body instead of just specific muscles. I love being able to mix up the various workout rotations and cardio, so it doesn’t become monotonous. I (and my wife) love the way I look. I love the energy boost I feel every day. Most of all, I love the fact that I was able to achieve knocking off 23 lbs in 8 weeks, in a relatively easy, cost effective and fun way.

That being said, I was ready to take it to the next level and hit another 8 weeks. 

Week # 9:

Decided to change it up a bit. The Rushfit blog recommends taking at least 1 week break, then starting the next level. As I have a bit of holidays coming up in a few weeks for Passover where I probably won’t be able to workout too much, I decided to push through until then at my own pace. Plan is to do 5 workouts a weeks, with one day off for stretching and another day of simply resting. Started off Sunday doing the Strength and endurance workout, which is one of the tougher ones. Followed up on Monday with the fight conditioning workout, and Tuesday with the abdominal training. Did both the balance and agility and stretching on the Wednesday, as Thursday was a Jewish fast day and I wasn’t going to workout out. Ended off the week doing the Full body and strength training on Friday.

During 2 of my sessions, I started finding that some rounds were getting too easy, so plan is to up the weight next week. Lost another pound during week 9.

Week #10:

Mixed up the schedule again this week. Started off with strength and endurance on Sunday. Had way too much to drink Sunday night, ended up drunker than expected at a Purim party. Somehow managed to avoid a hangover the following morning, drank lots of water and was ready to workout a few hours later. Went with the Abdominal training workout, which is one of the easier ones for me. Increased my dumbbell weight in round 1 to 15 lbs, still no major issues despite all the booze I drank the previous night. Took the day off to ice fish on Tuesday, and followed up on Wednesday with the full body and strength conditioning workout. Increased dumbbell weights in round 2 to 20 lbs, and round 5 at 15 lbs, still doing 10 lbs for rounds 3 & 4. Did the stretch workout instead of the usual 5 minute cooldown. Following with good sessions of the fight conditioning workout on Thursday, and explosive power training on Friday.

A relative warm front came in this week, outside temperature hovered a bit below the freezing mark. Despite working out with the windows wide open, I was sweating a lot more than I had been earlier on in the winter. Getting worried that I’m going to need a 3^rd air conditioner once summer comes around.

Ended up losing another pound during week 10, despite all the heavy eating and boozing the previous weekend. Also started noticing definition in many muscles, seems like shedding fat and increasing workout intensity and using higher weights are having their desired effect.

Week #11:

Another week of shuffling the workouts. Parts of the standard daily routine is lateral planks done at 5 second intervals, with longer periods being encouraged. Upped them to the max of 30 seconds in warmup, and 60 seconds during the workouts that cal for that particular exercise.

Increased my wiehgt to 20 lb dumbells for some sets, 15 lbs for other (up from 10 lbs.) Managed to strain one of my outer hamstrings a bit during the level changes of the fight conditioning workout, but found that some good stretches in the stretch/flexibilty DVD so wonders at smoothing it out. A bit of Myoflex, Arnica and Advil helped as well, was good for the next workout within 48 hours.

Ended losing another 2 lbs in week 11. Random visit to my doctor, he was absolutely amazed with my results. Just out of curiosity, we referred me for another blood test in a few months, to see how all this exercise and proper nutrition will affect my lipids / LDL counts once I’ve reached my target weight.

Week #12:

Increased weight for many of the workouts this week, but it seems that all this pushing has aggravated something in my left elbow. Noticed it a bit late last week, but didn’t think much of it. This week it became increasingly painful, especially a few hours after doing dumbbell circuits with increased weight. Bummer, as next week was scheduled to be my last before a mandatory 2 week resting period, so will probably avoid all dumbbell circuits next week. GSP Rushfit has 2 complete workouts without any dumbbells, and I can also mix and match a few rounds of selected workouts, as well as do some cardio on my bike as the roads are just about clear of snow at this point.

Lost another 2 lbs this week.

Week # 13:

Started off the week doing the fight conditioning workout, as my left arm was still a bit sore from the previous week. Took Monday off to fish, and pulled a muscle in my right forearm trying to figure out a new throwing stick I bought. So much for any possible dumbbell circuits, ended up mixing and matching workouts and rounds that don’t involve dumbbells for the rest of the week. Proper nutrition became more complicated due to the upcoming Passover holiday and not having my kitchen available. Still managed to lose ½ a lb in week 13.

Time to take a mandatory break from Rushfit, 2 weeks is what the Rushfit blog suggests. Works out perfectly with my holiday schedule, which all falls during weekday this year. Proper nutrition will definitely be out the window over the holidays, with all the upcoming feasts and mandatory  ceremonial wine consumption. I’ve lost 30 lbs so far, and hope to start another 8 weeks Rushfit training schedule when the holidays are over, with a target loss of 10 lbs by the end of June.

Week # 14:

After a mandatory 2 weeks rest period, I was itching to get back to a regular workout schedule. During my time off which coincided with Passover, I managed to put on 1 lbs in the first week, then lose 2 lbs the following week, by simply watching my calorie intake. I also came down with strep throat again for the second time in 2 months, I guess all that dieting and exercise left me vulnerable to the germs at home with all the kids and daycare kids sharing bacteria. Either way, it all worked out, my sore/aching muscles were back to normal.

Started off Sunday with the Strength and endurance workout. A bit tougher than last time around, as I was just getting back into the routine after nothing but some light stretching for 2 weeks. By the following day, the fight conditioning workout had me sweating again, as did the abdominal workout I followed up with on Tuesday. After taking Wednesday off for some stretching, I was more than ready for the full body workout, which contains the most dumbbell circuits (4) in the series. Pushed through it a record speed for repetitions, though my glutes and knees were a bit stiff by that night. Rubbed in a bit of Arnica, felt great by Friday. Finished of my week on Friday doing the balance and agility workout, and managed to lose another pound.

At this point, I had stopped documenting my success. I did another 4-5 weeks of combining the Rushfit workouts, until I eventually pushed to hard, injuring my shoulder. As the only thing that would help my shoulder at that point was resting it, I had to switch my routine and cut out the rushfit training until I healed up. Luckily, this coincided with mid Spring in Quebec, so I switched to cycling for most of my weekly exercise.

The first 6 months of using rushit helped me lose over 35 lbs, and put on a significant amount of muscle instead of fat. Not to mention feeling like I was 5-10 years younger. 

Without getting into many details about my cycling in this post, I stayed off the Rushfit program from June to December in order to heal properly, during which time I lost another 8 lbs while cycling though the summer.

My the time winter was back and I put my bike away due to all the snow, I was ready for another run at the Rushfit program. Did another 18 weeks or so of Rushfit, with a few weeks of rest in between. Knocked off another 5 lbs of fat, and put on a bit of muscle as well. Unfortunately, my RSI injury in my wrist came back again, probably due to me pushing too hard with increasing dumbell weights during my sets. I took it easy on the weight, and stuck with routines that avoided aggravating it, as well as a bit of added cycling. Lost another 5 lbs or so, bring my total weight loss from the beginning to over 50 lbs.

With the next set of Jewish holidays, the massive amounts of holiday food and alcohol consumption caused me to put back another 12 lbs or so in a matter of 3-4 weeks, as working out on the holidays is forbidden as previously mentioned. Though it was frustrating, Another 3 months of Rushfit got me back to my ideal weight of 150 lbs.

Finally, after nearly 2 years of Rushfit training, I started getting tired of the same routine each time, so I designed my own circuits based on many of the exercises I learned to do from the Rushfit program, as well as some others. Those circuits, in addition to outdoor cycling in summer, and indoor cycling in winter, have replaced my Rushfit routine for now.

Still, I can safely attribute  most of my success to George, Eric and the Rushfit program they created. While people may spend thousands on a fancy gym to get similar results, I spent less than $100 total, aside from my time and commitment to stick with the Rushfit plan.

Getting fit at 40 years old

I've decided to start this blog and share my experience of getting physically fit at the age of forty. So I guess I'll start by sharing a bit about my background and past.

I've always enjoyed being physically active and spending time outdoors, ever since I was a child. I stayed active until my late teens, at which time a few circumstances in my life led my being less active, less fit, and less healthy.

I started smoking at the age of 17, and within a couple years I was smoking between 1 to 2 packs of cigarettes a day. I always enjoyed good food and lots of beer, and as I went through computer school, my lifestyle was extremely sedentary. These combined factors led to rapid weight gain. By the age of 21, I weighed nearly 200 lbs, morbidly obese for someone that measures just 5'6. 

After having lost the weight with a crash diet in my late twenties, I quit smoking and took up exercise. Though I put on a fair bit of muscle, I wasn't really watching my calorie intake, so I eventually put on some weight over the next decade. In my late thirties, I ran into a repetitive stress wrist injury that put an end to my ability to lift weights for a couple years, and again, my weight ballooned to nearly 200 lbs, and my waist being 38 inches around. Not a pretty sight to say the least.

 

At the age of 40, upon advice from my doctor, I decided to finally stop sitting around and making excuses for myself. Sitting on a chair in front of a screen all day isn't conducive to weight loss, but I'm blessed enough to have a very flexible schedule. As such, I committed myself to getting my weight back where it should be, in a healthy manner. 

After doing some research as to what sort of exercise routine I would incorporate into my lifestyle, I decided on home based circuit training. This would give me the leisure of being able to workout at home or at my office, without having to pay expensive gym fees, stand in line to share sweaty machines with hundreds of other people, and be tied down to going there in general.

After doing some comparison shopping, I decided to try the George St. Pierre's Rushfit program. Aside from being well priced at under $100 for 6 DVD's, I am an avid MMA fans. With George being the UFC champion, and local hometown favorite, I was sold on his brand for my planned weight management and fitness training.

Though I rarely use those DVD's any more, they were the key that put me on proper nutrition, safe and healthy training, and general mind frame of being committed enough to stick with my new lifestyle. 

My goal isn't to become a shredded bodybuilder or gym rat. The training and nutrition plan I follow was designed by myself, to help me feel fit, strong, and comfortable with my body.